A Lehigh County judge on Tuesday urged a South Whitehall Township family to "take precautions," saying the justice system could not adequately protect them from a stalker who was caught by the father videotaping his daughter while she showered.

Judge Robert L. Steinberg called Gregory Steckroth "a danger to the community" and said he was reluctant to accept a plea bargain that allowed the adult daughter to avoid testifying at trial, but also could put Steckroth back on the street in less than two years.

"I think I've made it clear," Steinberg told the woman's father. "There's no guarantee of safety for your family."

Steckroth, 26, was sentenced to one to two years in the Lehigh County Jail followed by three years of probation. Steinberg ordered him to stay on prescribed psychiatric medications and banned him from any contact with the victim.

Steckroth pleaded guilty in October to charges of stalking and defiant trespass. The crimes stemmed from two incidents in May at the family's home, where Steckroth — the former boyfriend of another daughter — was residing.

According to police reports, the victim's father caught Steckroth videotaping the woman while she showered on May 19. An investigation showed that Steckroth had removed an access panel in the bathroom and was using a hand-held video game system to record the woman and download videos of her onto the Internet.

The father smashed the video game and kicked Steckroth off the property, warning him to never return.

But on May 29, police records say, Steckroth was caught outside the home, carrying a length of twine and a black cloth, which police described as a blindfold. He was arrested.

In court Tuesday, the victim wept and said that she remains fearful.

"I have no sense of safety in my home at all," she told the judge.

Her father said that he will keep a watchful eye on his home, and reiterated that the family did not want to go through the trauma of a trial. He said he did not know how he managed to stay as calm as he did when he discovered Steckroth videotaping his daughter.

"My faith in God allows me to forgive him, but I want him to know that I will never forget," the father said.

Assistant District Attorney Kevin McCloskey confirmed that he had discussed the plea deal with the family and that they wanted to go forward with it because they wanted "closure."

Steinberg said that some of his hesitation in accepting the plea deal stemmed from a presentence report that showed that Steckroth did not accept responsibility for the crime. The judge also noted that Steckroth had violated prison rules 16 times since his arrest.